Ruling on reading
Soorat Yaa-Seen for the dying and the deceased

Question

Asslamua Alylum,
In my culture people read sura Yaseen in groups before and after people
die. I would like to know if whether this is based on suna or an innovation?

Answer

Praise be to Allaah.

We have to make a distinction here between the two issues: reading
Yaa-Seen for one who is dying, and reading it for one who has died. With regard to reading
Yaa-Seen for one who is dying, this practice has been reported from some of the Sahaabah.
Imaam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from Safwaan: “My shaykhs told me that they
were with Ghudayf ibn al-Haarith al-Thumaani when he was dying. He said: ‘Can any of
you read Yaa-Seen?’ So Saalih ibn Shurayh al-Sakooni recited it, and when he reached
the fortieth aayah, Ghudayf passed away. My shaykhs used to say that when it is recited in
the presence of one who is dying, it eases the pain of death.” That was the opinion
of Safwaan. ‘Eesaa ibn al-Mu’tamir read it for Ibn Mab’ad (when the latter
was dying).

(al-Musnad, 16355)

Al-Albaani said in Irwaa’ al-Ghaleel, 3/152:
“This is a saheeh sanad going back to Ghudayf ibn al-Haarith, may Allaah be pleased
with him. Its men are thiqaat apart from ‘the shaykhs’ who are not named and are
therefore unknown (majhool). But the fact that they are unknown is compensated for by
their large number, especially since they are of the generation of the
Taabi’een…”

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ fi Ahkaam
al-Janaa’iz: “Soorat Yaa-Seen may be recited over him (i.e., the one who is
dying) for the one who thinks that the hadeeth is correct.” He explained that this is
because this soorah contains good news of Paradise, as in the aayah (interpretation of the
meaning): “It was said: ‘Enter Paradise.’…” [Yaa-Seen 36:26],
and because it makes the passage of the soul easier, and other reasons.

As regards reading Soorat Yaa-Seen for one who has died, there is no
saheeh hadeeth to indicate that this should be done. A hadeeth was narrated by Abu Dawood
and others which says “Read Yaa-Seen over your dead”, but this hadeeth is not
saheeh because its isnaad contains contradictions and narrators who are unknown (majhool).
This was stated by al-‘Allaamah al-Albaani in Irwaa’ al-Ghaleel, hadeeth
no. 688. Reading Qur’aan over the dead is considered to be bid’ah (innovation),
as he states at the end of his book Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz. Some people think that
it should be read forty times over the deceased, and some of them may distribute copies of
the Qur’aan among the mourners who gather to offer condolences so that they may read,
or organize gatherings in the mosque to read it for the soul of the deceased. All of this
has no basis whatsoever (in the sunnah), and these are innovated deeds of bid’ah
which we should avoid and warn others against. And Allaah is the Source of strength.